Association Francaise d'Arbitrage

What Association Francaise d'Arbitrage does

The Association Française d'Arbitrage (AFA) is a Paris-based non-profit association (association loi de 1901) founded in 1957 that operates an institutional arbitration and mediation center serving businesses, commercial entities, individuals, and legal professionals in France and internationally. Its core offerings comprise two principal dispute-resolution services: arbitration, in which designated arbitrators decide cases in law or equity, and mediation, in which a designated mediator facilitates amicable resolution in a confidential framework. The service suite also includes emergency arbitration procedures available since 1978, an ethical charter adopted across the federation of French arbitration centers, standardized arbitration and mediation clauses, transparent fee schedules (barèmes), and an arbitration budget simulator.

The organization is supported by an institutional governance structure consisting of a Bureau, Board of Directors, Arbitration Committee, and Mediation Committee, and engages leading figures from the international arbitration community through an annual flagship conference, training programs (Cas Pratique, After Work, Rendez-vous), working groups (Groupes de réflexion), and the Prix Jean Robert award for excellence in arbitration. AFA operates no proprietary technology platform; its differentiation rests on institutional credibility, published rules, and a federation ecosystem that brings together 15 French arbitration centers under a shared ethical framework initiated in 2012.

AFA generates revenue through transaction-based administrative and arbitrator fees tied to the amount in dispute, alongside membership dues, training fees, and publication distribution. Its go-to-market is event-driven, relying on annual conferences, training sessions, after-work events, think tanks, newsletters, and a multilingual (French, English, Spanish) website to reach arbitrators, mediators, legal practitioners, and parties seeking dispute resolution. Direct service delivery is administered from its Paris headquarters.

Name

Association Francaise d'Arbitrage

Legal name

A.F.A., Association Française d'Arbitrage

Website

https://afa-arbitrage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Association Française d'Arbitrage (AFA) is a Paris-based non-profit founded in 1957 that administers institutional arbitration and mediation proceedings for businesses, individuals, and legal professionals in France and internationally, governed by published rules and a federation of 15 French arbitration centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Arbitration and Mediation Services: AFA generates revenue through administering arbitration and mediation proceedings, including filing fees, administrative costs, and arbitrator/mediator fees governed by their published fee schedules (barèmes).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Association Française d'Arbitrage (AFA) is a French non-profit arbitration and mediation center founded in 1957 that administers institutional dispute resolution proceedings for businesses and individuals. It provides arbitration services with designated arbitrators deciding cases in law or equity, mediation services with confidential amicable dispute resolution, and emergency arbitration procedures available since 1978, all governed by published rule frameworks and fee schedules.

Product overview

Association Française d'Arbitrage (AFA) is a center for arbitration and mediation offering individuals and businesses ethics, support, and a simple regulatory framework for dispute resolution. Founded in 1957 as a loi 1901 association, the organization provides two core services: arbitration (through designated arbitrators who decide in law or equity) and mediation (through facilitators seeking amicable solutions). The offering includes emergency arbitration procedures (available since 1978), an ethical charter, standard contract clauses, cost schedules with budget simulators, professional training programs (Cas Pratique, After Work, Rendez-vous), publications, and a member directory. Events include annual conferences and the Prix Jean Robert award.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arbitration Services Institutional arbitration services providing dispute resolution through designated arbitrators who decide cases in law or equity, available for commercial disputes, investment disputes, and domestic and international arbitration.
• Mediation Services Mediation services designating a mediator to facilitate amicable resolution of disputes in a flexible and confidential framework, suitable for commercial and civil matters.
• Emergency Arbitration Proceedings Emergency arbitration proceedings allowing parties to efficiently address urgent situations arising from their disputes, governed by Article 13 of AFA's arbitration rules.
• Cas Pratique de l'AFA Training In-depth training program simulating a complete international arbitration procedure from filing to enforcement of the award, designed for legal professionals seeking practical arbitration experience.
• After Work de l'AFA Training Evening workshop sessions focused on practical application of arbitration rules, including emergency arbitration under Article 13, for legal professionals.
• Rendez-vous de l'AFA Training Educational sessions and meetings for professional development in arbitration and mediation, providing ongoing training to AFA members and legal practitioners.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Paris Arbitration WeekmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2025AFA recommends and participates in Paris Arbitration Week (April 7-11, 2025), a key industry event that connects the international arbitration community in Paris, the home of international arbitration.
• Fédération des Centres d'ArbitragecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012AFA initiated the creation of the Fédération des Centres d'Arbitrage in 2012, bringing together 15 French arbitration centers to share experience, promote institutional arbitration, and develop common ethical standards. The federation adopted an ethical charter (Charte éthique) in December 2013.
• ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)minorOthersAFA maintains awareness of and participates in ICC arbitration events, including the 42nd ICC IWBL Annual Conference.
• Institut de droit privé de l'Université de ToulouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration for international symposium on 'Arbitrage, entre Théorie et Pratique' (Arbitration, between Theory and Practice) held in November 2013.
• Comité Français de l'Arbitrage (CFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with CFA on annual colloquia, arbitration practice workshops, and professional development. CFA's annual symposiums are regularly featured on AFA's platform.
• Francarbi (Association internationale d'arbitrage)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Francarbi for international arbitration events, including a symposium on international arbitration and emergency procedures in Milan.
• Cour Marocaine d'ArbitrageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in international conference organized by the Moroccan Court of Arbitration on arbitrator selection and efficient procedures.
• Centre Européen d'Arbitrage et de MédiationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on international congress (Med-Mid Forum VIII) focused on Euro-Mediterranean arbitration and mediation topics.
• Institut pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage et la Médiation en Méditerranée (ISPRAMED)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in Mediterranean arbitration network events and conferences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Asia's leading arbitration institution with rapidly growing caseload. SIAC represents the principal non-European alternative to AFA for international arbitration, especially for matters involving Asian parties.
• ICC International Court of Arbitration: The world's largest institutional arbitration provider, administering over 800 new cases annually. ICC is AFA's most direct global competitor for international arbitration caseload, particularly for matters seated in Paris or routed through French counsel.
• CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution: US-based organization administering commercial arbitration and mediation under its own rules. CPR competes with AFA for international commercial matters and shares the institutional ADR-provider model.
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): One of the leading global arbitration institutions, headquartered in London, administering international commercial arbitration. LCIA competes with AFA for cross-border commercial disputes and is part of the same competitive set as ICC and SCC.
• Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Institute (SCC): Swedish-based international arbitration institution with strong track record in commercial and investor-state disputes. SCC is a direct competitor for European-seated arbitration matters and shares AFA's institutional-provider model.
• WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center: Geneva-based institution specializing in intellectual property and technology disputes, offering arbitration, mediation, and expert determination. WIPO is a direct peer for mediation services and for specialized institutional dispute resolution.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Major Asian-headquartered arbitration institution administering international cases. HKIAC competes directly with AFA for global caseload and is part of the same set of well-known international arbitration providers.

Broad incumbents

• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb): Global membership body for arbitrators, mediators, and adjudicators, offering training, accreditation, and rule-making. CIArb operates at a broader scale than AFA, with training and credentialing activities that overlap with AFA's Cas Pratique and After Work programs.
• ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes): World Bank-affiliated institution administering investor-state arbitration. ICSID is a comparable institutional provider for international arbitration matters and shares the Paris-area and global-reach profile relevant to AFA's international practice.

Regional players

• Centre de Médiation et d'Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP): Paris-based competitor providing institutional mediation and arbitration services. CMAP directly overlaps with AFA in the French market and shares the same city and customer base, making it one of the closest comparable peers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-francaise-d'arbitrage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association Francaise d'Arbitrage